History for Klose, but Germany held

Ghana held Germany to a 2-2 draw yesterday despite veteran striker Miroslav Klose coming on as a substitute to tie the World Cup scoring record with the equaliser in their highly entertaining Group G match yesterday.

Klose now has 15 career World Cup goals, equaling the mark set by former Brazil star Ronaldo.

Klose scored the equaliser in the 71st minute, less than two minutes after coming on, when a corner by Toni Kroos was flicked to the far post by Benedikt Hoewedes and the striker slid in to knock the ball into the roof of the net.

The result means the United States would advance from the group if they beat Portugal today.

Mario Goetze had put Germany ahead in the 51st, but Ghana equalized three minutes later through Andre Ayew.

Ghana captain Asamoah Gyan then put the Africans ahead in the 63rd, only to see Klose cancel out his goal.

The 36-year-old Klose is in his fourth World Cup and had been level with former Germany striker Gerd Mueller on 14 goals. Ronaldo also scored his 15th against Ghana, in 2006 in Germany.

With coach Joachim Loew preferring to play with a “false nine” system without a striker, Klose sat out Germany’s opening 4-0 rout of Portugal.

But with Ghana threatening to put a damper on Germany’s hope of winning the group, Loew turned to his veteran, who provided again.

The draw continued Germany’s habit of struggling in second matches in a tournament and left them with four points from two matches. The result revived Ghana’s hopes of progressing after its opening 2-1 loss to the United States. Ghana have one point.

Ghana gave the favored Germans a real contest in a pulsating match in the sweltering heat and humidity of Arena Castelao.

But it was Germany that took the lead.

In the 51st, Thomas Mueller sent a dipping cross toward Goetze, who attempted a header but the ball bounced off his left knee into the net.

Germany’s lead lasted only three minutes.

Andre Ayew rose between Per Mertesacker and Shkodran Mustafi to head the equalizer inside the far post from a cross from Harrison Affu. With the non-German side of crowd loudly behind the Ghana team, the African side kept putting pressure on the favored Germans. Ghana captain Asamoah Gyan beat an offside trap by Mats Hummels and Per Mertesacker in the 63rd, ran into space and fired the ball past goalkeeper Manuel Neuer into the far corner to raise Ghana’s hopes of an upset.